Aquino says anti-corruption drive freed up resources for FilipinosBy Kristine Angeli SabilloINQUIRER.net4:46 pm | Thursday, May 22nd, 2014

President Benigno S. Aquino III gestures during a speech at the World Economic Forum in Makati Shangri-la on Thursday. GRIG C. MONTEGRANDE/INQUIRER

MANILA, Philippines—President Benigno Aquino III said on Thursday that anti-corruption efforts by his government freed up resources that were now being used to “invest” in Filipinos.“These reforms, along with countless others, naturally expanded the resources available to government,” Aquino told more than 600 delegates of the World Economic Forum on East Asia held at Makati Shangri-La.“The question was: What do we do with these resources we have freed up? To everyone in our administration, the answer was very obvious: We had to invest in our greatest assets—and that, once again, was the Filipino people,” he explained.The President said this was done through the Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) or the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps), which provides sustainable livelihood assistance to its beneficiaries.“Now, we are assisting around 4.3 million families, or about 22 percent of the population and this constitutes the poorest of the poor,” he said.Investments in health and education were also made.“Of course, the principle behind the CCT dovetails with the strategic investments we have made in education to enhance the skillsets of the next generation,” Aquino said.He claimed that his government has been addressing the backlogs on classrooms, chairs and other equipment.Worst efforts of our leadersAt the same time, Aquino said his administration “dismantled corruption,” a “promise we made to the people.”“We had to take on all those who had a misplaced sense of entitlement—who believed that they had more rights than their fellow Filipinos,” he said.“So, we went after every individual who committed wrongdoing, and look at the results: My predecessor is now undergoing hospital arrest as she undergoes two serious charges, with another being evaluated by the Ombudsman.

The Congress and the Senate removed a Chief Justice from office for failing to declare over 98 percent of his assets in his Statement of Assets and Liabilities and Net Worth contrary to our constitution and our laws,” Aquino added.Aquino said Philippine growth was made possible “despite the worst efforts of our leaders.”OpportunitiesIn the end, the President said opportunities are crucial to further spur equitable growth.“We are aware, however, that inclusive growth cannot be achieved simply by delivering to our people the services they rightfully deserve. Government must also actively find ways to create opportunities for the people,” he said.Aquino pointed out that the government has been working hard to promote the Philippines as a tourist destination.“The results are clear: From 2001 to 2009, the term of my predecessor, the average annual growth of international tourists arrivals was at 5.1 percent; under our watch, from 2010 to 2013, this number grew to 11.6 percent,” he said, adding that international tourists spend an average of a thousand dollars each.Aquino made no further mention of how many more opportunities may be offered but during the morning sessions of the WEF, his Cabinet members tackled the country’s efforts in strengthening the agriculture and manufacturing sectors.Renewed perceptions“We have always said that good governance is good economics, and the results of our reforms on the economic end are proving us right. In 2013, our economy grew by 7.2 percent—making us one of the fastest growing countries in Asia,” the President said, pointing out that growth was achieved amid numerous disasters that struck the country last year.He said another proof of the Philippines’ progress was the “renewed perceptions” of the international community.Recently, Standard & Poor’s upgraded its rating for the Philippines from BBB- to BBB. The WEF competitiveness rankings also raised the country by 26 places from 85th to 59th.“Not to mention, from 2010 to 2014, we have made great strides in the World Bank and the International Finance Corporation’s Ease of Doing Business Report and in the Heritage Foundation’s Index of Economic Freedom, improving by 36 spots and 20 spots in each one, respectively,” he said.Aquino said the Philippine economy is building on its momentum with the revival of its manufacturing sector amid greater infrastructure spending, from P200 billion in 2011 to P400 billion this year.“Our country is in the midst of a dramatic turnaround in every sector, and we are intent on continuing this trend and making certain that each and every Filipino enjoys the full dividends of progress,” he added.A few minutes before Aquino took the stage, protesters and police scuffled outside the hotel.The activists said the Philippine economy was no “miracle,” especially with the high unemployment rate.“What miracle is the regime talking about? We have the highest unemployment rate in the region, and the highest in Philippine history, despite repeated claims of economic growth. The supposed growth is centered on a few sections of the economy and account for a small percentage of jobs created,” Bagong Alyansang Makabayan said in a statement.The Philippines is hosting the WEF on East Asia for the first time. More than 600 delegates from 30 countries participated in the three-day event.

Read more: http://globalnation.inquirer.net/104910/aquino-says-anti-corruption-drive-freed-up-resources-for-filipinos#ixzz333DEe7Ty Follow us: @inquirerdotnet on Twitter | inquirerdotnet on Facebook

Analyst: Corruption still haunts Aquino administrationBy Nestor CorralesINQUIRER.net7:57 pm | Thursday, January 16th, 2014

President Benigno Aquino III. Photo by RYAN LEAGOGO/INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines—Corruption still haunts the Aquino administration despite the “tuwid na daan” (straight path) campaign of the government, a political analyst said Thursday.Professor Ramon Casiple said the widespread corruption in the government as perceived by the business sector in the recent Social Weather Station Survey (SWS) came as no surprise.“Corruption in the government is entrenched. There is a need for a dramatic action and a strong political will for the president to actually confront this (corruption),” Casiple said.Casiple added that the current political system in the country is indicative of the corruption that has been haunting the government despite efforts of the Aquino administration.“To be fair to the President and to his Cabinet members, they have done a lot of reforms, but the problem is on its impact. We still need to find convictions. The problem is it is taking too long,” he said.The latest SWS survey revealed that 56 percent of the business people claimed seeing “a lot” of corruption in the public sector, a 30-percent increase from 43 percent in 2012.Malacañang earlier said the perception on seeing “a lot of corruption in the government” is balanced by the perception that the government is taking steps to eradicate corruption.

Read more: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/564943/analyst-corruption-still-haunts-aquino-administration#ixzz333EshOP6 Follow us: @inquirerdotnet on Twitter | inquirerdotnet on Facebook

'Corruption pervasive under Aquino administration'By Michael Punongbayan (The Philippine Star) | Updated October 11, 2012 - 12:00am

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MANILA, Philippines - Former national treasurer Leonor Briones claimed that corruption has worsened and is

pervasive as ever under the Aquino administration.

Briones said that the audit report of the Commission on Audit (COA) regarding losses in the national treasury of

P101 billion during the time of former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo also showed that portion of the

unaccounted funds was spent during the term of President Aquino.

She told a forum in Manila last Tuesday that it is unfair to blame the Arroyo administration for losses incurred

based on the 2011 audit report because it is also clear that a significant portion could be attributed to the

present administration.

Briones said contrary to claims that corruption has been curbed, the report shows that it is still pervasive, if not

much worse than the previous administration since irregularities in the disbursements of funds increased during

the Aquino administration as could be seen in Tables II.4-A and II.4-B of the COA report.

She explained that in accounting parlance, an audit finding that is termed as unqualified means there is no

anomaly, while a qualified finding means there is an anomaly.

In Table II.4-A of the audit report pertaining to the national level, it found that the number of unqualified findings

had decreased from 52 and 54 unqualified findings in 2009 and 2010, respectively to just 44 in 2011. This

means that in 2011 there had been lesser agencies that have been found to be honest and regular in the

disbursements of their funds.

http://www.philstar.com/headlines/2012/10/11/858305/corruption-pervasive-under-aquino-administration

Aquino: Trillion may already be missing due to corruptionBy Kim Arveen Patria | Yahoo Southeast Asia Newsroom – Wed, Oct 2, 2013

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Yahoo Southeast Asia Newsroom - Philippine President Benigno Aquino III delivers his speech before the signing of a

framework agreement between the Philippines government and Muslim separatist rebels inside …more 

(UPDATE) The Philippines’ missing funds amount not only to billions but to a trillion.

Under the Arroyo administration alone, as President Benigno Aquino III claims, funds

lost to corrupt practices totaled P836 billion so far and may even exceed P1 trillion.

 

Speaking before the Brotherhood of Christian Businessmen and Professionals

Wednesday, Aquino claimed the pork barrel scam is but a “symptom” of a bigger

scheme to capture public funds.

 

“We have not yet unearthed everything, but already, based on our initial findings, we

know that the amount may exceed one trillion pesos,” the President said.  

 

“In the almost ten year-period of the past administration, the average annual budget

was around P1 trillion pesos,” Aquino said.

“Is this not appalling—that funds equivalent to the national budget for just one year

may have been fallen into their hands, for use wherever they wanted?” he added. 

He identified four mechanisms to capture public funds including:

-the reenactment of the national budget

-the misuse of Malampaya funds

-the manipulation of automatic appropriations

-transactions for rice imports

 

Aquino said the national budget was only enacted on time once under former President

Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s watch, leading to the “reenactment” the previous year’s

budget.

 

“Due to the reenactment, there were projects that had already been finished the year

prior that were still allocated funds,” Aquino said.

 

These funds were then considered “savings,” he said, which the Executive department

can spend as it pleases.

 

Aquino made the accusations as his own Cabinet is being questioned for releasing

funds supposedly as bribes for lawmakers who impeached Chief Justice Renato

Corona.

 

Militant groups on Wednesday filed plunder complaints against Aquino, members of

his Cabinet and businesswoman Janet Lim Napoles before the Office of the

Ombudsman.

 

Comparing his administration to Arroyo’s, Aquino said Congress under his watch has

not failed to pass the national budget on time. “No reenactments were done,” he

added.

 

The President added the Arroyo administration also treated the Malampaya fund—

royalties earned from the Malampaya gas field—as discretionary funds.

 

The fund, which is supposed to be used only for the energy sector, was appropriated to

other entries under “other such purposes” and was distributed to lawmakers.

 

“In other words, the Malampaya fund became much like PDAF [Priority Development

Assistance Fund]—used for politics, to pad the pockets of allied lawmakers,” Aquino

said.

 

The Arroyo government also manipulated automatic allocations for debt servicing,

Aquino claimed, by using foreign exchange assumptions which cannot be increased.

 

“So the past Congresses doctored the assumptions to lower our payments for foreign

debt. After doing that, they would have funds to allocate to other things,” he noted.

 

Another indirect means to capture funds, Aquino said, was the “gross over importation

of rice at higher prices.”

 

The National Food Administration’s debt, Aquino said, ballooned to P177 billion in

2010 from P23.33 billion in 2001. He added that P123 billion was incurred only during

Arroyo’s last two years in power.

 

Aquino said, “We are not yet done searching for answers: who was behind this, what

happened, where did the money go, who benefited from this scheme, and who is truly

guilty?”

He meanwhile assured Filipinos that his administration is implementing reforms to

stop such mechanisms and the “same type of mentality within the system.”

 

Among the reforms he highlighted were the abolition of the PDAF, a hand-off policy on

debt servicing allocations and a revamp among Customs officials.

 

“I have removed opportunities for corruption; I did this of my own volition, according

to my mandate, with no one pressuring me,” the President said.

 

“All the powers at my disposal to gain funds and dole them out where I wanted, I have

consistently reduced,” he added.

 https://ph.news.yahoo.com/aquino--billions--not-millions--are-missing-due-to-corruption-072405825.html

Palace acknowledges SWS survey on widespread corruptionBy Kristine Angeli SabilloINQUIRER.net

1:25 pm | Thursday, January 16th, 2014

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Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma. PHOTO BY LYN RILLONMANILA, Philippines – Malacañang on Thursday said it acknowledges the results of a recent survey showing that more business people are observing “a lot” of corruption but not without reforms from the government.“It is evident that the perception on seeing a lot of corruption is balanced by the perception that the government is taking steps to eradicate corruption,” Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma said in a press briefing.He cited the Social Weather Stations (SWS) 2013 Survey of Enterprises on Corruption, which said 56 percent of the country’s top executives claimed seeing “a lot” of corruption in the public sector, a substantial increase from 43 percent in 2012.The survey was conducted from July to November 2013 among 951 companies.He said the same survey revealed that 73 percent of respondents believed that the government efforts to eradicate corruption have been effective.However, it was pointed out during the briefing that the 73 percent was a drop from 78 percent in 2012.

Coloma, on the other hand, boasted of the results of the International Finance Corporation’s “Doing Business 2014” and the Transparency International’s “Corruption Perceptions Index,” both of which gave the Philippines a higher or better ranking compared to previous years.“These favorable findings give due recognition to the government’s determination to institutionalize reforms that will promote good governance pursuant to its commitment to implement the United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC),” he said.

Read more: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/564795/palace-accepts-sws-survey-on-widespread-corruption#ixzz333FhlF5H Follow us: @inquirerdotnet on Twitter | inquirerdotnet on Facebook

Aquino: Anti-corruption program now bearing fruits

By Doris C. Dumlao Philippine Daily Inquirer

DAVOS, Switzerland—What started as a presidential campaign battlecry is now unlocking the

Philippines’ potential to fast-track economic growth, attract more investors and rekindle optimism

among its citizens. President Benigno Aquino spoke to the World Economic Forum about his

administration’s anti-corruption efforts which he vowed to institutionalize into an “enduring

mainstream of progress rather a mere blip in the radar and a case study for failed expectations.”

And while the President acknowledged that the work to uplift the lives of his poor countrymen was

“far from over,” he said the fight against corruption has so far yielded positive results for the

economy, in turn benefiting not only the rich, but the majority of the people.

“We want our people to come to expect more from their government; we want to prove that their

mandate, given freely during elections, counts for something,” Aquino said.

The President spoke on Thursday night before a private session linked to WEF’s anti-corruption

initiative through a multi-sectoral group called “Partnering Against Corruption Initiative.” It was a

closed-door session that also included the chief of state of Mongolia, the prime minister of Peru and

a member of the Indian Parliament.

In discussing recent initiatives, Mr. Aquino said there was “rampant corruption” in the government

when he first assumed office in 2010, alluding to the rice importation binge of the National Food

Authority and anomalous road projects under the Department of Public Works and Highways.

He also cited the impeachment of former Supreme Court Justice Renato Corona for the non-

disclosure of the bulk of his wealth.

A copy of the President’s speech was released after the private session, which was attended by a

select group of 50 people, mostly chief executive officers of corporations. Communications Secretary

Ramon Carandang also briefed visiting Philippine media about the anti-corruption session and

released a copy of the President’s opening remarks.

“What brought everybody together was that you had governments that were taking concrete steps

and they were willing to share what they learned,” Carandang said.

“I think this is good because… when they hear straight from the leaders about what they are doing to

fight corruption, I think it helps instil confidence in them because every one of those people was a

potential investor in our country. So when you explain all these things to them, they sometimes act a

little surprised because some of the moves that we’ve taken are quite bold. So, I think, it creates a

good impression of not just the leadership but the country in general,” he added.

http://www.gopacmanila2013.com/blog/2013/01/aquino-anti-corruption-program-now-bearing-fruits

U.S. Senator Lugar cites the Aquino administration’s anti-corruption drivePublished: October 29, 2012.

An October 29, 2012 press release from the Office of the Presidential Spokesperson

U.S. Senator Richard Lugar congratulated President Benigno S. Aquino III for the latter’s strong stance against corruption during a courtesy call at Malacañang.

“Your administration’s consistent anti-corruption efforts are dramatically changing the perception of the Philippines in people’s minds,” the most senior Republican in the U.S. Senate said. “I am here to personally hear more about the positive developments in your country,” he added.

President Aquino in turn said that his administration’s good governance agenda has translated into real gains for Filipinos. “By next year we will be able to solve the problem of classroom shortage in our public schools. We now have more people covered by our national health insurance, and the increase in our rice production will hopefully enable us to be a rice exporter soon,” President Aquino said.

During the call, President Aquino thanked the visiting senator from Indiana for the latter’s political analysis of the 1986 snap elections, which led President Ronald Reagan to eventually withdraw U.S. support for the Marcos administration. “On behalf of the Filipino people, thank you for your crucial role in the restoration of democracy in our country,” said President Aquino.

Senator Lugar said that his visit to the Philippines in 1986 contributed immensely to his continuing education in foreign relations. “It made such an impression on me that I had photographs of that time placed on a wall of my office at the Capitol,” Senator Lugar said.

Citing the strong commitment of the U.S. in ensuring the safe passage of ships and unimpeded trade through the seas of Asia-Pacific, Senator Lugar pledged to continue working for a strong PH-U.S. alliance. “I plan to speak with various audiences back home on why the U.S. should continue to support steadfast allies like the Philippines, and how we could be more helpful to you as a partner, ” Senator Lugar said.

This entry was posted in Briefing Room, Office of the Presidential Spokesperson. Bookmark thepermalink.

http://www.gov.ph/2012/10/29/u-s-senator-lugar-cites-the-aquino-administrations-anti-corruption-drive/

PNoy’s greatest legacyBREAKTHROUGH By Elfren S. Cruz (The Philippine Star) | Updated March 9, 2014 - 12:00am

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Once considered the economic and political model of Asia, Thailand is now on the edge of becoming a failed

state. The Philippines, once the “sick man of Asia” is now considered the top investment destination and most

successful economic story in Asia by several major international think tanks and analysts.

Today, Thailand’s democratically elected Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra has been driven from Bangkok by

anti-government protesters. The elite want Shinawatra to resign and be replaced by a “people’s council” which

is actually a junta.  She is insisting on a democratic election to choose the next government. Once Thailand

gives up on democracy, there will be political instability which will have negative effects on its economy.

A dozen years ago, the Thais were among the world’s biggest consumers of luxury goods. It was the third

largest car exporter in Asia.  Its per capita income was double that of the Philippines. When Shinawatra was

elected in 2011, there was hope that she would be able to address the economic downturn. For a while it

appeared that democracy was finally working.

The Bangkok elite accuse Shinawatra of massive corruption and buying the support of the poor with programs

like the rice subsidy. While this may be true, the question is whether the opposition’s alternative to appoint a

junta instead of electing leaders is the solution or the beginning of an era of political instability, economic

stagnation and military interventions.

The Philippine situation around a dozen years ago was similar. There were street demonstrations against a

corrupt government. The President was forced to flee Malacañang and resign from office. The military had

backed the position of the street demonstrators. There was talk of a junta taking over. But Corazon Aquino,

who was then the nation’s moral leader, did not support the proposal and the vice president took over.

For nine years, under Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, again there was political instability due to massive corruption in

government and alleged manipulation of electoral results. GMA’s popularity ratings were the lowest since

Marcos and were, in fact, negative in the last few years. By different international ratings, from credit risk and

investment ratings to corruption indexes and business opinion surveys, the Philippines was a failing state.

Opinion ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: 1

Again, there were anti-government demonstrations in the streets. There were repeated attempts at military

interventions. But the majority of the elite and the masses continued to support democracy.

In the 2010  elections, President Noynoy Aquino was elected president.  In less than four years, the once failing

state has been transformed into one of Asia’s brightest economic stars. This is the conclusion of several highly

prestigious and internationally recognized institutions and organizations.

Just this week, the Philippines was judged as having the best investment climate in Asia ahead of countries like

China, Indonesia, Vietnam, Malaysia , Singapore, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea and Australia. The study,

based on the results of a survey of 334 multinational corporations operating in Asia was made by London-

based Economist Corporate Network, a unit of the Economist.

But this should not be a surprise. In 2013, all three major credit rating agencies — Fitch, Standard and Poor’s,

Moody’s — assessed the Philippine sovereign credit rating as investment grade, the first time in our history.

Moody’s cited solid growth, political stability, greater accountability and a low level of exposure to external

shocks. This agency said the country’s level of economic performance is among the fastest in the Asia-Pacific

region and across emerging markets globally.

 Ruchir Sharma, the author of BREAKOUT NATIONS: In Pursuit of the Next Economic Miracles, wrote that in

the 1960s the Philippines had the second highest per capita income in Asia next only to Japan. But by the

beginning of the 21st century, many of its neighbors had overtaken the country due primarily to corruption,

political instability and crony capitalism. But after the election in 2010, here is what he writes:

“Now, at long last, the Philippines looks poised to resume a period of strong growth. The new president,

Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino, probably has just enough support and looks likely to generate just enough reform

momentum to get the job done...Filipinos saw him as an honest figure who could deliver on the Aquino

mandate for change and they were desperate after nine years of drift and decay under outgoing president

Gloria Macapagal Arroyo... Aquino is delegating power to competent technocrats and seems to understand

what needs to be done...”

After three-and-a-half years of the P-Noy presidency, two articles in the January-February issue of

theFOREIGN AFFAIRS magazine , published by the New York based Council on Foreign Relations, gives an

extensive analysis of several emerging markets, especially Indonesia and the Philippines.

One article says: “Two of its [ASEAN] members have stood out as particularly promising. Giant Indonesia

soared during the last half decade, boasting high growth, low inflation, an extremely low debt to GDP ratio. But

it is the Philippines, the region’s other archipelago, that is now providing the biggest upside surprise.

The Philippines has momentum behind its reform efforts and a popular president with three years left in his

term. This provides a compelling platform for growth moving forward.”

There is another article entitled “Why Economic Forecasts Fail.” It seeks to explain why countries like Brazil,

Turkey, Egypt, South Africa — that were considered  future tiger economies just five years ago--failed to meet

expectations. At the same time, it asked why countries like Mexico and the Philippines suddenly exceeded

expectations and are poised to be the next economic superstars.

It is a well thought out article with one paragraph standing out which says: “Economists tend to ignore the story

of people and politics as too soft and incorporate into forecast models. Instead they study hard numbers such

as government spending or interest rates. But numbers cannot capture the energy that a vibrant leader such as

Mexico’s new president, Enrique Pena Nieto or the Philippines’ Benigno Aquino III can unleash by cracking

down on monopolists, bribes and dysfunctional bureaucracies.”

It is a strong and moral leadership combined with good governance and the rule of law that could lead to the

dawn of a new Filipino century. This is the greatest legacy that P-Noy could leave his country in 2016.

*      *      *

http://www.philstar.com/opinion/2014/03/09/1298754/pnoys-greatest-legacy

Calls for prosecution of corrupt govt officials grow louder after PNoy's speechBy AMITA O. LEGASPI,GMA NewsNovember 1, 2013 12:53pm

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Tags: Bantay Kaban

(Updated 3:48 p.m.) - Count former Interior and Local Government Secretary Rafael Alunan III

among those who were disappointed with President Benigno Aquino III's televised message

Thursday night defending his administration's Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP).

In a post on Facebook, Alunan, who was DILG chief during the Ramos administration, said what

Aquino said in his 10-minute speech was far from what the public should and wanted to hear.

“I believe that this is what we all wanted to hear last night: My fellow-Filipinos, these are my orders:

1. Cabinet Secretaries will undertake a thorough clean-up of their departments and agencies of

corrupt elements;  2. Cases of erring officials and employees are to be immediately remanded to the

Ombudsman for appropriate action; 3. The Ombudsman is expected to release its findings within the

time limit prescribed by law, not one minute later. 4. I will cause the removal of ANY official caught in

a conflict of interest,” he said.

In his televised speech — hyped by Malacañang as the first time the President asked networks for

airtime to "directly address the Filipino people" — Aquino attacked those trying to equate the pork

barrel scam with DAP. Without mentioning names, he said personalities involved in the alleged

misuse of pork barrel funds are using the DAP issue to divert the public's attention as well as to

smear his administration.

But Alunan said what Aquino should have said was that he as President would do his best “to

minimize the leakage of the people's money to maximize government's investments in national,

human and ecological security."

The former government official said Aquino should have also announced that he "will enjoin the

Legislature to be a strategic partner in this endeavour,” and that he will “cause the Freedom of

Information bill to be passed into law as soon as possible so that the citizenry can be empowered to

help me, as another strategic partner, to govern well.”

MBC: Put corrupt officials behind bars

Meanwhile, the Makati Business Club expressed indignation at how certain public officials and

private individuals have manipulated social support systems for their own gain.

“We ask the government to continue the aggressive pursuit of its reform agenda and ensure that all

those found guilty of wrongdoing, whether inside or outside government, irrespective of political

allegiance, be cast behind bars,” it said in a press statement.

MBC said it recognized the ongoing efforts of the executive, legislative, and judiciary branches to

introduce reforms, investigate allegations, and uncover the truth.

“Amidst the attempts to muddle the issue, we remain steadfast in our support of these processes

with fervent hope that justice will, indeed, prevail,” it said.

The group also urged the business community and private citizens to be vigilant, to be actively

informed, and to take advantage of existing avenues of monitoring and reporting abuses.

“Let us seize this opportunity to unite under a common ideal to transform our institutions and place

the Philippines on the upright path to progress,” it said.

BPO employees blast PNoy

A group of business process outsourcing (BPO) employees, on the other hand, chided Aquino for his

alleged failure to prosecute corrupt officials.

“You have not prosecuted a single corrupt official under the Arroyo administration. Some of those

officials are enjoying your protection after you appointed them as members of your cabinet,” BPO

Industry Employees Network (BIEN) said in a separate statement.

“You have removed (Chief Justice Renato) Corona and (Ombudsman) Merceditas Gutierrez from

their posts but no corrupt official has been prosecuted. You have appointed officials in the SSS,

Philhealth, GSIS and other GOCC’s who continue to enjoy millions of bonuses that come from our

hard work, blood, and sweat, and you tell us you are all holy and innocent?” it added.

The group said they found it necessary to speak up after the President went on national television to

defend the DAP.

“As part of the second biggest tax contributor in the country, we call center workers say to the

President: We are not stupid!” the group said, adding that they are "angry, disgusted, and we will not

allow it to pass.”

“The corruption that goes with the pork barrel system has hounded our country since the 80’s. The

money that we pay as taxes is being compromised and the president has the balls to tell us that it is

not being pocketed,” it said.

DAP is 'pork'

It added that they have yet to see the sincerity and seriousness of Aquino’s “daang matuwid” slogan.

“Mr. President, tell us that the DAP is not pork when you have the power to disburse it based on your

prerogative. Sec. Butch Abad of the Department of Budget and Management himself admitted that

the P50 million additional 'gifts' to senators who voted to oust Chief Justice Renato Corona came

from the DAP,” it said.

The group hit the President for allegedly failing to provide the simplest forms of relief in times of

calamities and disasters.

“The meager P21 million relief assistance to people affected by the earthquake in Bohol is

incomparable to the amount you spend in useless bonuses and incentives of high officials of

different government agencies,” it said.

“We want our taxes back! We will continue to fight for a tax holiday! We have lost confidence in your

government to manage our money after you’ve made us look stupid by trying to wash your hands

clean of corruption!” it added.

The group called for more transparency in government and the re-channeling of all pork barrel funds

to social services, as well as prosecution of all those involved in the pork barrel scam, both from the

opposition and from administration allies.

Palace reacts

During a phone interview with reporters on Friday, deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte

said they respect the opinion of the BPO industry.

 

"We have always been forthright with the facts and explaining and have always been ready to

explain the ins and the outs of the Disbursement Acceleration Program, which we tried to do in the

past months that this has been an issue in the public eye," she said.

 

On the other hand, she said MBC's call has always been in the anti-corruption campaign of the

President.

 

"At this point it’s important for us to make sure that systems are in place to avoid any fund misuse.

We still need to do more and transparency is very important to us," she said. — with a report

fromKimberly Jane Tan/KBK/KG, GMA News

http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/333573/news/nation/calls-for-prosecution-of-corrupt-govt-officials-grow-louder-after-pnoy-s-speech

Less corruption in PH in the last 2 years – global studyA Transparency International survey shows 10% to 14% of PH respondents paid bribes, but 84% are willing to get involved in anti-corruption activities

Ayee MacaraigPublished 6:19 PM, Jul 09, 2013

Updated 2:53 PM, Jul 10, 2013

Infographic from transparency.org

MANILA, Philippines – Is the fight against corruption gaining traction in the Philippines?

A report of Berlin-based Transparency International showed corruption in the

Philippines decreased over the last two years.

This is one of the findings listed in the group’s Global Corruption Barometer 2013, which

Transparency International calls the biggest survey tracking worldwide public opinion on

corruption. The report was released on Tuesday, July 9.

In the Philippines, Transparency International surveyed 1,000 respondents nationwide

using face-to-face interviews.

Twelve percent of respondents reported paying bribes in the past year to any one of

these 8 services: police, judiciary, registry, land, medical, education, tax, and utilities.

The figure is down from the 16% who reported paying bribes in the Global Corruption

Barometer 2010/2011.

The 2013 report put the Philippines in the same cluster as Argentina, Chile, El Salvador,

Hungary, Israel, Jamaica, Palestine, Rwanda, and Vanuatu or countries where 10% to

14.9% of respondents reported paying bribes in the last year.

In the Philippines, 35% of respondents said corruption “decreased a little,” 31% said it

“stayed the same,” 19% said it “increased a lot,” 12% said it “increased a little,” and only

2% said it “decreased a lot.”

Since 2003, the Global Corruption Barometer has been surveying the experiences of

everyday people confronting corruption around the world.

It is different from Transparency International’s Corruption Perception Index,

which ranked the Philippines 105 th   out of 176 countries in 2012.

Infographic from transparency.org

‘Police most corrupt institution’

Respondents in the Philippines identified the police as the most corrupt among 12

institutions. This was the same finding in the 2010/2011 survey.

In a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being extremely corrupt, the police got a score of 4.

Here is the list of institutions and their respective scores, listed from those perceived to

be most corrupt to those perceived to be least corrupt:

1. Police – 4.0

2. Public officials / Civil Servants – 3.8

3. Political parties – 3.7

4. Parliament/Legislature – 3.5

5. Judiciary – 3.5

6. Military – 3.2

7. Business/Private Sector – 2.9

8. Education system – 2.8

9. Medical and Health – 2.8

10. NGOs – 2.7

11. Religious bodies – 2.3

12. Media – 2.2

Despite their experience with corruption, 61% to 80% of respondents agreed or strongly

agreed with the statement that “Ordinary people can make a difference in the fight

against corruption.”

The survey said 84% of respondents expressed willingness to get involved in anti-

corruption activities.

Of 5 options, respondents in the Philippines chose signing a petition as the anti-

corruption activity they are most willing to engage in.

The other 4 choices were joining a peaceful protest, joining an anti-corruption

organization, paying more to buy from a corruption-free company, and spreading word

about corruption through social media.

The Office of the Ombudsman has said that corruption in government transactions is

losing ground.

In 2010, it commissioned a National Statistics Office survey that showed only 10% of

those who accessed government services paid bribes to facilitate transactions. The

Ombudsman said the number was lower than that in the Global Corruption Barometer.

READ: Corruption linked to 'culture of expectations'

Fighting corruption is a priority of the Aquino administration, with President Benigno

Aquino III winning the presidency on a promise to reduce graft.

Aquino lent his political capital to push for the removal of former Chief Justice Renato

Corona for failing to declare his bank deposits. Yet observers have said that corruption

remains pervasive in lower levels of government.

Global corruption worsening

Besides the Philippines, 106 other countries were surveyed in the Global Corruption

Barometer 2013. There were 114,000 respondents worldwide.

The survey found that global corruption worsened in the past two years, and a quarter

reported paying bribes in the last 12 months.

Transparency International pointed to a connection between poverty and graft.

“In Zimbabwe, women giving birth in a local hospital have been charged US$5 every

time they scream as a penalty for raising false alarm. In Bangladesh, the recent

collapse of a multistory factory, which killed more than 1,100 people due to a breach of

basic safety standards, has been linked to allegations of corruption.”

Transparency International is a global civil society organization fighting corruption. It has

90 chapters worldwide and works with partners in government, business and civil

society to develop and implement measures to tackle it. – Rappler.com

http://www.rappler.com/nation/33299-philippines-global-corruption-barometer-2013

Malacañang on less corruption: You will see PNoy's legacyMalacañang welcomes the findings of the Global Corruption Barometer 2013, but defends the police, which is perceived to be the most corrupt institution

Natashya GutierrezPublished 5:28 PM, Jul 10, 2013

Updated 5:27 PM, Jul 10, 2013

AQUINO'S LEGACY. With 3 years left, Malacañang Palace expresses confidence President Benigno Aquino III's

legacy on decreasing corruption will be felt by the Filipino people. File photo by Malacañang Photo Bureau

MANILA, Philippines – Filipinos will see President Benigno Aquino III's legacy of less

corruption in the government when he leaves office in 2016.

Malacañang Palace expressed this belief a day after the release of a report by Berlin-

based Transparency International, first reported by Rappler, that showed corruption in

the Philippines decreased over the last two years.

Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda on Tuesday, July 10, spoke with confidence,

citing the rise in Filipinos who believe corruption in the country has decreased. He said,

from only 6% of respondents believing corruption decreased in 2010, 35% of those

surveyed in 2013 now share that belief.

"The legacy will be shown to you. After 6 years, you will be the judge of the legacy. We

will show you," he said.

"I think one of the things that you could say is that the attitude of the people towards

government has changed dramatically. That’s one thing that you will see. And for other

legacies of this government, I think, rather than for us to crow about it, I think the people

will be in a better position to say it."

The decrease in corruption is one of the findings listed in the group’s Global Corruption

Barometer 2013, which Transparency International calls the biggest survey tracking

worldwide public opinion on corruption.

While Lacierda said the government still recognized "there are still some levels of

corruption," he emphasized that the recognition of the administration's "consistent fight

against corruption" is there.

He gave assurances the government would not let down.

"Those who were surveyed, at the very least, recognized that there have been an

increase in the recognition that corruption has decreased under this administration and

we continue to fight against corruption. This is an ongoing process and it will continue to

the very last day in our administration," he said.

Defending the PNP

The report also showed that Filipinos perceive the police force as the most corrupt

among 12 institutions, which reflected the same findings in the 2010/2011 survey.

The Philippine National Police (PNP) received a score of 4, on a scale of 1 to 5, with 5

being extremely corrupt.

The other institutions most seen to be corrupt were public officials/civil servants, political

parties, parliament/legislature, and the judiciary, in that order.

Lacierda acknowledged these institutions will have to "make some improvements," but

also argued that "sometimes, the frontliners are the most visible." He said the report

should be used as instructive by the government.

Lacierda also defended the PNP, despite it topping the list of perceived most corrupt.

The government has worked toward cleaning up the image and modernizing the police

force.

"I know for a fact that the PNP has done a lot of reforms, and they continue to do a lot of

reforms, and I’m sure that General [Alan] Purisima has continued all these reforms and

will push for greater reforms in the police," he said. – Rappler.com

http://www.rappler.com/nation/33397-less-corruption-pnoy-legacy